The rate at which scientific and technical information grows continues to increase. National and international conferences provide a mechanism to facilitate the rapid communication of scientific ideas in the form of poster presentations. The poster presentation is NOT the pasting of a scholarly article on poster board or foam-core and standing by to defend the results reproduced in miniature on the "poster." However, it is far too often that one attends a conference poster session and finds this format to dominate the method of poster presentations.

The poster presentation should represent a “...well-designed, eye-catching, and engaging... display of research or scientific information.” The poster should convey the results of research activities as to promote the scientific achievements of the poster's presenter. There is, unfortunately, a lack of presentation standards or authors' and presenters' lack of adhering to such standards, even when loosely defined.

This guide provides an inventory of print and Internet resources that provide guidance and instruction for the presentation of scientific and technical information in the form of a poster presentation. This guide includes information resources in the forms of journal articles, books, book chapters, and Internet sites that focus on the planning, design, construction, and presentation of a scientific poster.

If you find a resource you feel would be useful to include on this site, please send your comments to Fred Stoss.

Using Posters in Case Studies: The Scientific Poster as a Teaching Tool
This case study prepared by Charles R. Fourtner, Mary Bisson and Christopher A. Loretz from the Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, State University of New York, describes the rationale and mechanics of introducing undergraduate biology majors to actively engage in a project to conduct bona fide library research and to then "express themselves in their own discipline." These researchers/educators "adapted the scientific poster as a mode of learning and instruction for our departmental majors" through a General Physiology course. The specific goals of this teaching strategy are to instruct the students:

• in researching the primary literature and topical reviews on a specified subject
• in the evaluation of the methodologies, technologies, and experiments serving as the basis of the research they have read
• in determining the pertinent data and analyses leading to the conclusions reached by experts in the field
• in concise and logical preparation of data for presentation in a poster format
• in the oral defense of the material they have presented on their posters
• in the importance of group discussions and interactions as they develop their formal presentation

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Some resources on the shelves:

Block, S.M. Do's and Don'ts of Poster Presentation. Biophysical Journal. 1996. 71 (6): 3527-3529. (Online)

Briscoe, M.H. Preparing Scientific Illustrations: A Guide to Better Posters, Presentations, and Publications, (2nd ed.). New York: Springer; 1996. Posters; p 131-149. (SEL REF Q222.B75 1996)

Brown, B. S. Poster Design--Six Points to Ponder. Biochemical Education.1997. July; 25 (3): 136-137. (Online)

Davis, M. Scientific Papers and Presentations. San Diego, Academic Press: 1997. Poster presentations; p 174-185. (SEL T11 D324 1997)

Davis, M. Scientific papers and presentations (Rev. ed.). Burlington, MA: Academic Press: 2005. Poster presentations; p 181-204. (SEL T11 D324 2005)

Day, R.A. How to Write & Publish a Scientific Paper (4th ed.). Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press; 1994. How to prepare a poster; p 148-151. (SEL T11.D33 1994)

Gosling, P.J. Scientist's Guide to Poster Presentations. New York: Kluwer Academic/Plenum Press; 1999. 139 pp. (SEL REF Q179.94 G67 1999)

Hailman, J.P. & Strier, K.B. Planning, Proposing and Presenting Science effectively: A Guide for Graduate students and Researchers in the Behavioral Sciences and Biology. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press; 1997. How to present research: posters at scientific meetings, p 112-115. (SEL QH315.H25 1997)

Hartman, K.J. Designing Effective Poster Presentations. Fisheries. 1996 . 21 (7): 22. (SEL Per SH1 .F815)

Knisely, K. A Student Handbook for Writing in Biology (3rd ed.). Gordonsville, VA: W.H. Freeman: 2005. Poster presentations, p 137-146. (SEL QH 304. K59 2009). Sample posters and form for evaluation of poster presentations are at www.sinauer.com/knisely/.

Koning, R.E. Standards for Effective Presentations. In: Salisbury, FB, editor. Units, symbols, and terminology for plant physiology: a reference for presentation of research results in the plant sciences. New York: Oxford University Press; 1996. p 188-201. (SEL REF QK710.5 U55 1996)

Pechenik, J.A. A Short Guide to Writing about Biology, 3rd ed. New York: Longman; 1997. Writing a poster presentation; p 258-265. (SEL QH304.P43 1997)

Rogers, P. Historical perspective of poster presentations [Internet]. University of California, Santa Barbara. 2004. Available from: http://www.uweb.ucsb.edu/~paul_rogers/annotatedbibliography.htm

Salisbury, F.B. editor. Units, Symbols, and Terminology for Plant Physiology: A Reference for Presentation of Research Results in the Plant Sciences. New York: Oxford University Press; 1996. Some suggestions about scientific writing; p 163-187. (SEL REF QK710.5 U55 1996)

Schowen, K.B. Communicating in Other Formats: Posters, Letters to the Editor, and Press Releases -- Tips for Effective Poster Presentations. In: Dodd, JS, editor. The ACS style guide: a manual for authors and editors, (2nd ed.). Washington, DC: American Chemical Society; 1997. p 27-47. (SEL REF QD8.5.A25 1997)

Silyn-Roberts, H. Writing for science and engineering: Papers, presentations and reports. Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann; 2000. A conference poster; p 151-166. (SEL T11 .S529 2000)

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• 2002 WICB/Career Strategy Columns (Archive): Do's and Don'ts of Poster Presentation: Steven M. Block
  http://www.ascb.org/index.cfm?id=1607&navid=112&tcode=nws3&search=1
  This guide offers advice on preparing a good scientific poster.
• BIO 801, Scientific Literature and Writing: Poster Presentations
  http://www.people.eku.edu/ritchisong/posterpres.html
  A good guide with very useful illustrations show poster elements and designs.
• Advice on Designing Scientific Posters http://www.swarthmore.edu/NatSci/cpurrin1/posteradvice.htm This comprehensive resource introduces the poster concept, defines the different sections found on a poster, and provides a bibliography. Several examples are shown.
• Career Development: Providing Poster Sessions
  http://cte.umdnj.edu/career_development/career_posters.cfm
  Links to 19 sites (all in this guide).
• Creating Effective Poster Presentations: An Effective Poster
  http://sph.washington.edu/practicum/ppposter.asp
  A good site with tips for style, design and skills for presentation of posters. Includes examples.
• Creating a Poster Using MS PowerPoint http://depts.washington.edu/mphpract/ppposter.html This teaching model provides instructions for creating a poster presentation using PowerPoint 97.
• Creating Better Presentations: Creating Posters http://www.easternct.edu/smithlibrary/library1/presentations.htm#posters This list of sites features links to poster design and creation tips, and several poster examples.
• Creating Better Presentations: You Never Get a Second Chance to Make a First Impression http://www.easternct.edu/smithlibrary/library1/presentations.htm Two bibliographies have been developed to guide users to sites for general and PowerPoint presentation tips and suggestions.
• Creating Effective Poster Presentations: Create Your Poster: Planning http://www.ncsu.edu/project/posters/NewSite/CreatePosterPlanning.html This revised site provides instructions for step-by-step development of effective posters and offers great examples of posters done for research. The authors address planning and development, software options, formatting and layout. In addition, poor poster techniques are discussed.
• Crucial Poster Guidelines
  http://www.biology.duke.edu/undergrad/distinction/poster.html
  Creating a poster on a single Power Point slide is made easy.
• Designing Effective Posters http://www.kumc.edu/SAH/OTEd/jradel/Poster_Presentations/PstrStart.html This 29-page tutorial is one of three Kansas University Medical Center Web sites on Effective Presentations . This site illustrates elements of layout and design for poster presentations, common errors in design and how to avoid them, and it provides a convenient reference for students and faculty. Click on these topics for descriptive details: Planning the poster, creating the title banner, layout of the poster, dealing with illustrations and with text, and poster assembly. There are even a few Folklore, Tidbits & Hints. "A nifty example of a poster presentation (complete with a quiz at the end!)" is provided.
• Developing a Poster Presentation in the Social Sciences http://writingcenter.gmu.edu/resources-template.php?id=52
  Twenty-three slides demonstrate how to assemble a poster presentation following APA style guidelines. Slides take the audience step-by-step through the research, design and presentation stages.
• Expanded Guidelines for Giving a Poster Presentation
  http://asp.org/education/howto_onPosters.html
  This document has been compiled in hopes of providing some helpful guidelines on effective ways to present scientific information.
• Guidelines for Preparing a Paper from a Mini-Workshop or Poster Presentation
  http://www.ableweb.org/proc/MiniGuidelines.pdf
• How to Make a Great Poster http://www.aspb.org/education/poster.cfm Design suggestions regarding layout, formatting, and color selection are shared on this American Society of Plant Biologists education site.
• How to Make a Poster? Posters Have Advantages Over Talks! http://www.bio.vu.nl/thb/users/tmbm99/poster.html This site provides reasons for creating a poster to present research, and discusses formatting considerations.
• Introduction: Poster Sessions http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/speaking/poster/index.cfm This university writing guide is a great place to start when faced with a poster assignment. Straight-forward instructions and guidance along with examples and additional resources steer tenderfeet and veterans in effective design.
• Poster Design Tips
  http://www.pop.psu.edu/info-core/library/posters.htm
  A brief description of making posters. Note links for making posters in PPT and Adobe Illustrator.
• Poster Guidelines
  http://www.wpi.edu/Academics/Depts/BBT/Resources/guidelines.html
  A brief guide on designing posters.
• Poster Presentation of Research Work http://lorien.ncl.ac.uk/ming/Dept/Tips/present/posters.htm A textual description of how to plan and deliver a poster presentation (compiled by the Chemical and Process Engineering Department at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne [U.K.]).
• The Oceanography Society has basic guidelines for Poster Presentations and examples of a bad poster and a good poster. This is part of a more comprehensive site, Scientifically Speaking.
• The Poster Session: A Guide for Preparation
  http://www.sou.edu/aaaspd/PosterPrep.html
  A detailed account of preparing a poster (session) presentation.
• The Poster Site
  http://www.medsci.uu.se/occmed/poster/
  A design site with useful comments.
• Preparing Professional Scientific Posters http://www.ce.umn.edu/~smith/supplements/poster/guide.htm This poster minicourse provides a bullet list for start-to-finish poster design guidance.
• Tips for Effective Poster Presentations http://www.osti.gov/em52/workshop/tips-exhibits.html The U.S. Department of Energy site provides a rather comprehensive document series on effective poster design, including a Guidelines for Preparation of Online Poster Presentations http://www.osti.gov/em52/workshop/em52-gl.html

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• EPA: Community Involvement Conference & Training: Posters and Exhibits, 2006 http://www.epa.gov/superfund/community/ciconference/previous/2006/posters.htm
• EPA: Community Involvement Conference & Training: Posters and Exhibits, 2007 (scroll down the page)
  http://www.epa.gov/superfund/community/ciconference/previous/2007/posters.htm#
• NIST – Best Practices for Communication of Science and Technology to the Public http://www.nist.gov/public_affairs/bestpractices/guidelines.html

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• California State University, Fullerton – Faculty Research Showcase http://fdc.fullerton.edu/research/posters/Posters_08_2001/presenters.htm
• Identification of Genes Involved in Rice (Oryza sativa, indica) Grain Filling
  http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/~rice/files/poster_MSMBB2004_chailing.jpg
• Identification of QTLs for Tillering
  http://pkukmweb.ukm.my/~rice/files/PAG_Poster04_liz.jpg
• IAU Symposium 170 Electronic Poster Presentations http://www.tuc.nrao.edu/meeting/posters.html
• Leiden Dynamics Group Posters/Talks http://www.strw.leidenuniv.nl/~dynamics/Posters/
• Nexus Research Group: Professional Posters http://www.nexusresearchgroup.com/science_fair/2002_fair.htm

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• AltaVista's Images http://www.altavista.com/image/default AltaVista provides a dynamic search capability with advanced search features for making more specific inquiries about the images sought.
• Dealing with Presentation Disasters http://www.strategiccomm.com/disasters.html Knowing your objective and continuing to smile despite any interruptions are just two means of dealing with presentation disasters. Check here for more tips.
• Google Images http://images.google.com Google Image search can help locate appropriate graphic images or photographs or other illustrations for your poster presentations. Just enter the topic, concept, or object for which you are seeking an image and review the results. An advanced search is also possible.
• Overcoming Speaker Anxiety in Meetings & Presentations http://www.all-biz.com/relid/8042/ISvars/default/Overcoming_Speaking_Anxiety_in.htm Ever stand in front of a classroom and get that feeling of doom as you are about to speak. Get the "butterflies" even at the thought of standing before one of your professors? Here are useful guides to help you overcome the fears and anxieties of giving a presentation.
• Poster Software http://www.postersw.com/main.html
• Society for Technical Communication http://stc.org/ A tremendous resource for the biology student interested in pursuing career options as a technical writer, illustrator, editor, or communications specialist.

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